Tulum Diary: Chapter Three

Here’s another delicious dining suggestion from my recent trip to Tulum, Mexico. This one is still with me in dreams. The kitchen at Hartwood is a sick display of an outdoor kitchen—my dream kitchen for al fresco dining that lives in the backyard of my fictional Santa Barbara ranch house. As you’ll notice if you go (and you MUST!) much of Tulum Beach functions off very little electrical power, so many kitchens utilize open wood fire ovens to cook. Hartwood capitalizes on this style of cooking and uses the freshest local ingredients to churn out richly flavored and impressive dishes. Our table shared an entrée size plate of tender pork ribs over cabbage slaw with pickled jalapenos to start. Then we ordered the two whole fish of the day on the menu (Snuke and Red Snapper) which serve 2 people each. Both fish were divine and completely different in taste and preparation. The red snapper was meaty like a steak, rich with smoky flavor, with heaping pile of sautéed greens to accompany it. The snook was tender, flaky and moist, served with a mix of greens and raisins. For dessert (changes daily) we sampled corn ice cream with sweet crispy tortillas. The flavor was unexpected—like a deliciously chilled cream of corn soup but with a clean finish and just sweet enough to end your meal.